Did you know there's a Rainforest in the United Kingdom? We sure didn't! This video absolutely left us in the most positive, happy & relaxed mood as it's so incredibly beautiful and this gentlemen has such infectious love & joy for nature. We know you will adore this one as much as us. The UK really does have EVERYTHING! There's so much beauty and we truly hope that others from around the Globe are learning with us that there's so much more to the UK then what we all see on TV & in Movies. Really enjoyed this and still smiling from it even though we recorded it a couple weeks back! Rewilding and conservation are so important to many ecosystems survival. While we are not being political, this is just a simple fact of the World we live in. Let's all respect the beauty that surrounds us, no matter where we call home. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
The cap on the Acorn pops off when it starts to sprout . It protects the growing tip as the Acorn falls , sometimes from quite a height . No I am not a tree expert but my friends job was to visit all over the UK collecting rare tree species and growing them so forests could be re wilded.
I think that all our forests are rainforests 😄😄😄 This one is in Dartmoor, Devon, the South West of England. They all seem to look like filmsets for fairies.
While studying for a career qualification I was taught that the difference between a rainforest and any other forest is that the ecosystem is maintained by rapid turnover of nutrients from decaying detritus. As leaves and branches fall to the ground they are quickly broken down by bacteria and fungi which thrive in the constant high moisture level and absorbed by the living trees without the time or need to build more than a very few centimetres of viable soil. Except for a tap root which some taller tree species use for stability all roots fan out horizontally from the trunk within that thin top layer below which there is only sterile soil or rock. That is why there are often surface boulders which never get buried over millennia, and the land of cleared rainforest is unsuitable for arable farming.
Given in the comments that the location is Dartmoor National Park. Specifically he is walking along the River Dart. He mentioned grazing by Dartmoor ponies. These wild ponies are unique. They are found only on Dartmoor and in Siberia. They were split from their ancestral herds when the UK islands broke off from the European continent.
Not so much "broke off " as separated by water on the lower area as the Ice age ended and sea levels rose- the ice- age is still ending in time for the next one perhaps.
@@malcolmhouston7932 fair point. Perhaps I should have used separation. The fact remains that they were cut off, and there are only two places in the world where these ponies exist.
As you mention the joy and enthusiasm this young man brings rubs off on you and for me it reinforces my love of nature raises being aware of our surroundings. Which sadly not all people appreciate, perhaps take for granted it is there and never think or have the desire to explore, learn more or simply protect or look after it. The inner child in me wants to hop, skip and jump for joy looking at this natural beauty and learn more. Thanks Natasha and Debbie for showing this video.
About 40 plus years ago, I used to do a lot of hiking with the Scouts in various parts of the UK. There is stunning scenery almost everywhere,and an incredible diversity of flora and fauna.
This weekend in the UK is The RSPB Big Garden Bird Count for 2024, where people can register to spend one hour over the weekend watching a patch in their garden (yard) recording the birds that they see there. No matter if you a 1 or 100 years old it is something you can join in and gets people learning/talking about birds and nature and provides information to see how nature is changing.
I did know as I'm lucky to live not far from it. I live in Exeter and Dartmoor is on my doorstep, we spend a lot of time there. Dartmoor is rugged and beautiful.
Temperate rainforests are incredible, they make you feel like you're walking through a Tolkien novel, there's loads dotted about all over the UK and we have several in Snowdonia where I live.
It’s Dartmour National Park. Scrambling off the Moor and into the dappled gloom felt truly like passing through some kind of portal. I was enthralled by the place, its inexpressible sense of mystery and antiquity. The stillness. Like so many others, I had the feeling that the Wood was enchanted, imbued with an unknown significance. For as long as I stayed, the whole world felt - in a way never possible in cities - steeped in symbolism.
It's probably no coincidence that the place reminds you of Hobbit land, as The Shire in Tolkien's stories was meant to be the English Midlands in an imaginary prehistory. Also, myths like Robin Hood make more sense when you realise that much of England at that time was pretty much jungle. Speaking of which, if you get over here you should visit Sherwood Forest. It's a fraction of how it was back then but it's still beautiful.
I learned something new about the British Isles in this video. It explains why everything quickly gets covered in moss, algae, mushrooms and spores so quickly once left alone (maybe the temperate rainforest is constantly trying to fight back)
The UK used to be extensively forested (possibly about 60% forest cover) until clearance for agriculture began to happen about 4000-ish years ago. The Romans came next with their organised infrastructure and advanced building techniques, all of which required timber. Then the Normans after 1066 and by the 14th century, forest cover was down to around 15%. Deforestation continued for agriculture, shipbuilding and industry and by the early 20th century, there was only around 5% forest left. Due to conservation efforts, we are back up to around 13%, but the ancient woodland is a rare and precious thing. We are so lucky to have it and I hope we keep it. ❤
I visited Cumbria (north west England) and went walking in the woods there and was stunned to find myself in a rainforest. Everything was covered in moss, literally every tree, every rock, everything - I'm sure I ended up covered in moss too! it was truly one of the most magical places. It felt unearthly and ancient. Temperate rainforests are like no other places.
There is one near me in Scotland, The reason they're still rain forrests is because they've been left alone for so long, it's a shame that people make these locations public knowledge because the people who live next to them have to deal with the damage some cause. Especially during lockdown, loads of folk came up here because they weren't allowed to go abroad and newspapers were advertising quite spots, some ended up covered in litter with part burned trees and other damage. These are usually places that are discovered when you are here, not toursit destinations.
This is filmed on Dartmoor National Park in Devon which is in the South West of England. The last section is filmed in Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor which is one of the highest oaklands remaining in England.
(Best opening ever.) The wood at the end, down the track, almost certainly Wistman's Wood in centre of Dartmoor about 20 miles SW of where I live in the middle of beautiful Devon Shire. I believe there are good rainforests on the W coast of Scotland which has a mild, wet climate.
Saw the original video a while back, and thought that would be a great one for you guys, but knew you got so many recommended videos to sift through; I didn't want to add it to your pile! Glad you found it anyway! 😁
I live in Devon and regularly visit the temperate rainforest on Dartmoor. It is a magical place. My YT account photo coincidentally is a photo of mosses/liverworts in the forest. I try to visit when there are few people around, go for a swim in the river and sometimes just sit in the middle of the river and take in the landscape. Being alone in such landscapes has such a primeval feel
You are not alone in associating rainforest with tropical rainforest only, and being unaware of the temperate kind. Maybe one reason why we have neglected and ignored the rainforest in the UK until recently. But i gather that renewed interest in recent years has meant greatly increased footfall from visitirs, and that is causing damage to the habitat in some places, so that may be why he avoided saying where it was.
It is Dartmoor, I grew up in that area and would visit some of these forests most weekends. I also know the folklore of the area. Unfortunately Wistmans has been damaged by people engraving things on the trees. The Duchy of Cornwall who own that area has asked if people could walk around the small woods rather than going in to allow it to recover. That wood is also known for the origin of the whist hounds, the black dogs of the wild hunt. Yes folklore. But I still regard Dartmoor as home even though I live in SW Hampshire now.
The first was filmed in Fingle Woods (near Drewsteignton) along the Teign River; this was a failed rift valley, the one that succeed formed the Atlantic Ocean! Whilst the second part was at Wistmans Wood (near Two Bridges) on Dartmoor, both are in Devon
@@TheNatashaDebbieShow The Dartmoor ponies are very special, as mentioned higher in the thread. It might be worth looking for a UA-cam video about them.
part of the problen is summed up by what he said "...I just want to live here !" one or two living or visiting is conservation, but hundreds leads to destruction and erosion. much of the uk has lost its woodland/forest through enviromental issues but mainly through footfall erosion (many worldwide beauty and iconic sites are suffering from heavy foot wear from millions of feet tramping an area and touching hands), but mainly from what I call "New house syndrome" instead of renovating and modernising old buildings to provide homes, or demolishing to rebuild on the same spot, theydo this (ficticious place) : - Little bottoms wobble is an abandoned village of 200 homes and businesses. The village was abandoned in the 90s when the second recession in 10 years saw the last villagers leave.laying on the edge of the forest and moores , the village has its infrastructure intact though building renovation is needed. there is a demand for houses in the area, but instead of doing this, builders clear a swathe of forest half a mile away and a mile square to build Great bottom wobble, destroying forest . similar effects happen when one family builb a home in the foret, result minimal harm, but when 10 families do it, result deforestation. during 40s to 80s due to cold war Ministry of defence built military bases as whole communities, after the cold war MOD abandoned many bases and either mothballed them "just in case" or put them up for sale "entire villages just add people", many are still empty and decaying while local government contracts out for NEW housing very near camps, but far enough to require destroying more enviroment. its an vast over exageration but plausible that one day UK will be one massive housing site 50/50 lived in houses and abandoned houses, after all new house syndrome sees no one wanting renovated houses when they can have new. The nightmare of concrete uk isnt possible right ! wrong did you realise by area, drop New York and Chicargo and Dallas onto the land area of UK and you would have no forrest/farm/moor land. if we are to keep our forests etc we need to stop buiding new communities, start recycling existing housing and severely limit construction in rural sites. sorry, this expanation became a rant, but if we dont do something ther will be no quaint British villages, beautiful countryside or idillic forests for American visitors or anyone else to see.
Agree 100%. The news always talks about a "housing crisis" and politicians are bending over backwards to rip up more and more countryside and turn it into concrete housing estates faster and faster. It's endless urban expansion where I live. And this in a country that has had below replacement birth rates for fifty (yes 50) years! We should be able to be protecting and expanding the natural environment, but... Um... We can't, because... Umm... Reasons.
Nice video showing great enthusiasm for the forest and rewinding, however lost his credentials when finding a rare mushroom. He decided to pick it rather than leave it in the ground to reproduce, you' ve got a smart phone if you need to prove you saw it.
yes, this was Devon but they're also in Wales Scotland and Ireland. you do also have some in America in the pacific northwest from northern California to British Columbia. and a smaller one in the Appalachian Mountains.
The UK does not have desert (defined in the normal way as a place with very low precipitation). People sometimes call Dungeness a desert but it isn't one really.
Hey you lovely ladies, I’m so glad you reacted to this video as I DID suggest this one to you both as a comment on your reaction to garden centres. But I’m overjoyed you got to it regardless 😀 This man is so passionate, I agree that it’s infectious 💯👍🏼
I looked into this a few years back for some kids that I taught. The rainforests exist in Western Scotland, Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria, north-west Wales, Northern Ireland, and the south-west of Ireland. They're very very fragmented now because of climate change and habitat destruction(by humans). And just in case you think of visiting you will need wellies and waterproof clothes and a change of everything.
Wistman's Wood has a very haunted reputation. The trees can look very sinister. Most of all, you feel very aware that it is not a human place. I'm a druid, so I felt very safe there.
I was reading a book about the rainforest and in it I read about how important the Wildwood and the rainforests were to the Druids. Since then I've become fascinated with the druids and I'm glad to see we still have them, incredible to think that for thousands of years the druids are still going
I used to live in North Wales and the annual rainfall was about 2 metres. The woodlands felt like a rainforest , just like the video. Great episode, thank you.
Beautiful video, we are lucky to have these places to see. There are many beautiful forests on Kent and they make for a brilliant adventure treat for the dogs and great fun to see
Hi Debbie and Natasha. It certainly around or in the Dartmoor area. Possibly Castle Drogo ,Fingle bridge, Lydford Gorge area. Havent been back in years.
I’m lucky enough to live near Dartmoor, it’s is absolutely beautiful. We spend most weekends there. In the spring the meadows are full of bluebelles, absolutely stunning. I have been to these woods and they have a real mystical feeling about them. If you are in the South west then Dartmoor is a must see especially if you like walking
4:45 In case you didn't catch it, the plants are bryophytes - mosses and liverworts. Yes, I have a number of rainforests nearby. They are on the west coast of the north of Scotland. At one time continuous, most are now small remnants, having been cut-down for charcoal in the 18th 19th centuries. The charcoal was made on site and was used for iron smelting and making gunpowder. Acorns in the UK also have caps but in the first stages of germination the shoot pushes out at the capped end - dropping the seed off the tree into the leaf litter where it continues growing. 13:53 Most people in the UK are not aware of the existence of these forests and their beneficial effects on the land. Many people live almost exclusively urban lives - unaware and unknowing.
That was a beautiful video what a lovely way to start off your day . I loved your intro . The guy sounds a bit like Steve backshall a British naturalist and explorer. Thank you for this beautiful video
I am lucky enough to live on the edge of Dartmoor and have visited this forest in the past. It is truly magical. Hope you manage to go there on your trip.
Debbie, that is a normal acorn. It drops out of the cap onto the ground then starts to sprout. American acorns are just the same. This is in valleys in Dartmoor, Devon etc. The temperature forests across the northern hemisphere are larger than all the world's jungles. This landscape is very soggy. This sort of place survives where it was difficult to farm, ie steep, narrow, rocky etc.
Ausewell Woods or the Bovey Valley, both in south Devon. There's several maintained by the Woodland Trust. Great for bird watching, and butterflies too which is what took me there a few times many years ago. And you can find some in Ireland, along the western coast mostly. There's a similar habitat in the Pacific North-west, Washington State and British Columbia.
You can find our rainforests in, West coasts of Scotland, North & West Wales & Devon, Snowdonia, Elenydd in Wales, the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Pennines & The West Country and yes, Ireland do have rainforests
Glad you guys have got into Leave Curious . The guy is excellent . So are you two . I live in a small remnant of the temperate rain forest in the UK . The local mountain looks like it is steaming
The red and white spotted 'mushroom' is actually a toadstool called Amanita Muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric or fly amanita. It is poisonous but death due to poisoning from A. muscaria ingestion is quite rare
One of my favourite tree/nature facts is that when each of us is born, so does a tree sapling sprout somewhere in the world. There are trees that have grown and experienced life alongside each of us. Maybe if more humans took notice of this they would feel more inclined to protect them.
Have known about Wistman's Wood for a while, but accessibility by public transport is very poor. If you fancy other aspects of the great outdoors in the UK, I recommend checking out the bluebells in late April/early May or take a visit to Savernake Forest, which has the largest collection of ancient oaks (some ~1,000 years old) in the country.
Whistman’s Wood, instantly recognisable. I adore Dartmoor and have explored it widely. The river valleys are hidden gems. Whistman’s wood hosts the densest population of adders (the UKs only venomous snake) in the country.
We know, but you didn't ask. A new rainforest is being planted on our southern moorlands to replace some that was lost. The acorn in the film has shed it's 'cup', you can see a new root and the 'cup' protects this area until the shoot emerges. He implied it was on Dartmoor in Devon (south West England) as he mentioned the ponies. Much of the UK would have been covered in rainforest in the Western areas where the Atlantic rainstorms are prevalent. The red and white spotted are called Amanita Muscari, they grow well in Beech rainforest, and are hallucinogenic, which is probably the reason why people saw fairies and gnomes sitting there!
This is mainly filmed in the Lydford Gorge near Tavistock in Devon. The river is the River Lyd. The area in the south west of England is close to the coast and the prevailing winds come across the Atlantic. The winds are relatively warm and so is the ocean. The atmosphere dumps its rain when it rises on the land and over Dartmoor. All of the area would be covered like this in trees if it was left to regenerate but the moors are managed, mainly for the shooting of birds such as pheasants and grouse that are specifically bred for this purpose. Although it's located in the far south west of the UK its latitude is similar to southern Canada.
Not enough of this left now. We are lucky enough to have an area locally like this which is actually used as the area's Scout camp! Wood cabins, damp ground that occasionally floods from the stream running through it, lichen, moss, old logs, open areas and thick woodland with trees everywhere. You can walk up onto the South Downs and range for miles on hikes in almost every direction. The kids love it and always come home muddy even in the summer. And it has proved to be pretty much 100% kid proof for almost 100 years now.
The beauty of it is retained due to it not getting ruined by masses of people trampling all over it. I don’t blame anyone wanting to see it, but sometimes it’s better to leave places untouched and unspoilt and watch videos like this. Beautiful. Thanks as always girls.
Definitely Devon. Dartmoor ponies were the clue. I have only driven through Dartmoor and it is beautiful. I didn't know we had a rain forest hidden in there!
Since everyone has stated its on dartmoor, I've copied and pasted some info from Google. Dartmoor National park is 368 square miles or 954 square kilometres. It's about 20 miles from North to South and 20 miles from East to West. That means it's roughly the same size as London, or about the same size as 20,000 football pitches. Dartmoor has been used for military training since the early 1800s. The Dartmoor Training Area comprises of three training ranges on the north moor (Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy and dry training areas on the south moor (Cramber Tor, Ringmoor and Sheeps Tor Wild ponies and tanks lol
The army never takes armour onto Dartmoor. I settled in the area, on my retirement from the army, as a direct result of training on Dartmoor and we couldn't take anything larger than a Land Rover, all the times I went there.
This is on Dartmoor....A National Park in Devon...Dartmoor gets as much rainfall as the Amazon Rainforest!! It's very wet!! Sadly "ancient woodland" is extremely rare in Britain as most woodland was cleared in the Bronze Age (1000BC!!)....The fact that this temperate rainforest needs management (grazing/thinning) means that it will be ultra rare amongst the already ultra rare ancient woodland!!
This is in Dartmoor National Park, which is, just north of Plymouth and down the road from the English Riviera. Parts of Dartmoor are the playground for the Royal Marines. The weather comes thick and fast on Dartmoor with, sometimes, 4 seasons in 1 hour,...Yes I said 1 hour. It in a large part, covered in moorland with large hillocks called Tors, to which there is an annual childrens competition/expedition that cover 10 of the Tors with support by H.M.Forces. It's had to be abandoned due to the weather on many occasions. Dartmoor is home to The Hounds of the Baskervilles, of Sherlock Holmes fame and it was once home to Britians highest security prison, HMP Dartmoor, a large dark granite foreboding place virtually in the centre of HELL!!!!!!!!! You should check out some of his other videos and the organisation that he mentioned, Mossy Earth. He does work/videos for/with them also.
This is at Dartmoor, All of the UKs rainforests are on the Western side of the kingdom, in England, Wales and western Scotland. There is also some in Northern Ireland.
Stereotypical red with white spots fungs Fly Agaric and POISONOUS. So many beautiful places to see, not enough days in a lifetime to see them, which makes me thankful for videos like this
Hi Natasha and Debbie, The red fungi with the white spots is called the Fly Agaric and is native to the UK. It lives in woodlands, parks and Heathlands with scattered trees. usually near Birch or pine trees. It is toxic but usually not deadly. It does grow in small areas of the US. The name derives from people in the olden days, seeing a large number of dead flies around assumed that it was a natural insecticide. The truth is that actually it attracted flies because it smells of rotting meat. The flies died naturally and helped the fungi to develop by adding nutrients into the soil. The scientific name is Amanita muscaria.
I know where this is, I've been there a few times and it is stunning. Yes it is on Dartmoor and that is as much as ime saying ( for it's own protection). It has been said that a monkey could climb a tree at the southern part of Cornwall and travel to the most northern part of Scotland and not touch the ground, yeh we had a few trees !!
It's only really wet enough for rainforests in the very west of the UK. The east suffers drought most years. But we do have many patches of ancient woodland all over the UK.
Beautiful Rainforest and a lot of Devon is beautiful too imo, one of my favourite counties in England, you should take a look at more areas there like Lynton in Lynmouth in North Devon and also one of the counties next to it which is Dorset.
The red and white mushrooms are fly agaric. The Sami people eat some of them and feel as if they are flying on a sleigh. This and the colour are believed to be why our Father Christmas flys on a sleigh and wears red and white clothes. Also used by witches, rubbed on a certain part of the anatomy they would hallucinate they were flying on their broomsticks.
I think that the lack of information as to where this area exists is quite deliberate. The last thing these areas need is thousands of people trooping around them, this would destroy them in very short order. He mentions in the video that he's not entering certain areas, just treading on the moss and lichens covering the rocks would rapidly wear them off, and just imagine the effects of children climbing on the rocks and trees!
The beach near to where I live on the NE Coast of UK sometimes uncovers the remains of tree stumps which were part of a forest at one time, amazing to see.
Started off nicely like Attenborough then i saw it was a peace Lilly 😂 back to the show .... Think it's down Devon Cornwall way as he said Dartmoor ponies but he may not want massed tourists ruining the area. Dartmoor ponies are sold & used in other management project's. Puzzle woods would blow your mind was a surface quarry in the pre metal working age covered in mosses trees and lichens just like the forests in the video.
The Amethyst Deceiver (laccaria amethystina) is an edible mushroom, but extreme care should still be taken when picking and eating them, as they absorb arsenic from the surrounding soil. Eating them for an extended length of time can lead to an accumulation of arsenic in the body, which over a long period is in itself is a health hazard. (and apparently they don't taste very good anyway!)
It was such a shame my local hot house, as it was known, has now been demolished. Used to like seeing the rare plants and getting into somewhere hot on a cold day lol.
Dartmoor National park is in Devon. Dartmouth Naval College is situated on the river estuary, where Elizabeth met Philip many years ago. Close by is Plymouth, and then the county of Cornwall.
From what I've heard, most of Europes Atlantic coast, from Northern Spain to Southern Norway, was covered in rainforests during prehistoric times. Also worth knowing: there is some temperate rainforest on the American west coast, unfortunately I don't know if it's in the US or if it's in Canada, or both.
He mentioned Dartmoor (Southwest England) Others are: Wales - in Ceredigion, Powys, and Gwynedd, including Coed Crafnant Scotland - the Highlands and Argyll, including Ballachuan Hazelwood England - in the Lake District and Dartmoor, including Marsland nature reserve Northern Ireland - in the glacial valleys of Antrim including Glenarm and Straidkilly nature reserves
Did you know there's a Rainforest in the United Kingdom? We sure didn't! This video absolutely left us in the most positive, happy & relaxed mood as it's so incredibly beautiful and this gentlemen has such infectious love & joy for nature. We know you will adore this one as much as us. The UK really does have EVERYTHING! There's so much beauty and we truly hope that others from around the Globe are learning with us that there's so much more to the UK then what we all see on TV & in Movies. Really enjoyed this and still smiling from it even though we recorded it a couple weeks back! Rewilding and conservation are so important to many ecosystems survival. While we are not being political, this is just a simple fact of the World we live in. Let's all respect the beauty that surrounds us, no matter where we call home. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
Moss can be grown indoors like a house plant 😉
Masses if tourist who think that "rules are not for us", would xplain why he didn't much advertised the place by name and location?
@@Aloh-od3ef
In deepest rainy Scotland I have moss growing on my roof and all over my garden .
The cap on the Acorn pops off when it starts to sprout . It protects the growing tip as the Acorn falls , sometimes from quite a height .
No I am not a tree expert but my friends job was to visit all over the UK collecting rare tree species and growing them so forests could be re wilded.
I think David Attenborogh covered this (a repeat was on telly last week when I was half watching it)
I think that all our forests are rainforests 😄😄😄 This one is in Dartmoor, Devon, the South West of England. They all seem to look like filmsets for fairies.
Been there and want to go back.
Defo more mosses and ferns in the rainforests, rather than normal forests. The ones in the Lake District are impressive.
Just a few miles up the road from me, here in S Devon!
While studying for a career qualification I was taught that the difference between a rainforest and any other forest is that the ecosystem is maintained by rapid turnover of nutrients from decaying detritus.
As leaves and branches fall to the ground they are quickly broken down by bacteria and fungi which thrive in the constant high moisture level and absorbed by the living trees without the time or need to build more than a very few centimetres of viable soil. Except for a tap root which some taller tree species use for stability all roots fan out horizontally from the trunk within that thin top layer below which there is only sterile soil or rock. That is why there are often surface boulders which never get buried over millennia, and the land of cleared rainforest is unsuitable for arable farming.
Hilarious. Not.
Given in the comments that the location is Dartmoor National Park. Specifically he is walking along the River Dart. He mentioned grazing by Dartmoor ponies. These wild ponies are unique. They are found only on Dartmoor and in Siberia. They were split from their ancestral herds when the UK islands broke off from the European continent.
Thanks for the info, appreciated.
Not so much "broke off " as separated by water on the lower area as the Ice age ended and sea levels rose- the ice- age is still ending in time for the next one perhaps.
@@malcolmhouston7932 fair point. Perhaps I should have used separation. The fact remains that they were cut off, and there are only two places in the world where these ponies exist.
I have been to that forest on Dartmoor. The scent of the air is the most beautiful I have experienced.
I was wondering if it was in the Dartmoor area.
@@Tsass0 Me too - he hinted at it with the reference to grazing Dartmoor ponies.
As you mention the joy and enthusiasm this young man brings rubs off on you and for me it reinforces my love of nature raises being aware of our surroundings. Which sadly not all people appreciate, perhaps take for granted it is there and never think or have the desire to explore, learn more or simply protect or look after it. The inner child in me wants to hop, skip and jump for joy looking at this natural beauty and learn more. Thanks Natasha and Debbie for showing this video.
About 40 plus years ago, I used to do a lot of hiking with the Scouts in various parts of the UK. There is stunning scenery almost everywhere,and an incredible diversity of flora and fauna.
It’s in Devon on the edge of Dartmoor. He did mention that it’s grazed by the Dartmoor ponies.
Dartmoor ponies are also used in other areas of England to manage scrub and forestry land.
This weekend in the UK is The RSPB Big Garden Bird Count for 2024, where people can register to spend one hour over the weekend watching a patch in their garden (yard) recording the birds that they see there. No matter if you a 1 or 100 years old it is something you can join in and gets people learning/talking about birds and nature and provides information to see how nature is changing.
I did know as I'm lucky to live not far from it. I live in Exeter and Dartmoor is on my doorstep, we spend a lot of time there. Dartmoor is rugged and beautiful.
Temperate rainforests are incredible, they make you feel like you're walking through a Tolkien novel, there's loads dotted about all over the UK and we have several in Snowdonia where I live.
It’s Dartmour National Park. Scrambling off the Moor and into the dappled gloom felt truly like passing through some kind of portal. I was enthralled by the place, its inexpressible sense of mystery and antiquity. The stillness. Like so many others, I had the feeling that the Wood was enchanted, imbued with an unknown significance. For as long as I stayed, the whole world felt - in a way never possible in cities - steeped in symbolism.
It's probably no coincidence that the place reminds you of Hobbit land, as The Shire in Tolkien's stories was meant to be the English Midlands in an imaginary prehistory.
Also, myths like Robin Hood make more sense when you realise that much of England at that time was pretty much jungle.
Speaking of which, if you get over here you should visit Sherwood Forest. It's a fraction of how it was back then but it's still beautiful.
I learned something new about the British Isles in this video. It explains why everything quickly gets covered in moss, algae, mushrooms and spores so quickly once left alone (maybe the temperate rainforest is constantly trying to fight back)
The UK used to be extensively forested (possibly about 60% forest cover) until clearance for agriculture began to happen about 4000-ish years ago.
The Romans came next with their organised infrastructure and advanced building techniques, all of which required timber.
Then the Normans after 1066 and by the 14th century, forest cover was down to around 15%.
Deforestation continued for agriculture, shipbuilding and industry and by the early 20th century, there was only around 5% forest left.
Due to conservation efforts, we are back up to around 13%, but the ancient woodland is a rare and precious thing.
We are so lucky to have it and I hope we keep it. ❤
I visited Cumbria (north west England) and went walking in the woods there and was stunned to find myself in a rainforest. Everything was covered in moss, literally every tree, every rock, everything - I'm sure I ended up covered in moss too! it was truly one of the most magical places. It felt unearthly and ancient. Temperate rainforests are like no other places.
We have a lot of woods like that in Cumbria
There is one near me in Scotland, The reason they're still rain forrests is because they've been left alone for so long, it's a shame that people make these locations public knowledge because the people who live next to them have to deal with the damage some cause. Especially during lockdown, loads of folk came up here because they weren't allowed to go abroad and newspapers were advertising quite spots, some ended up covered in litter with part burned trees and other damage. These are usually places that are discovered when you are here, not toursit destinations.
This is filmed on Dartmoor National Park in Devon which is in the South West of England. The last section is filmed in Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor which is one of the highest oaklands remaining in England.
(Best opening ever.) The wood at the end, down the track, almost certainly Wistman's Wood in centre of Dartmoor about 20 miles SW of where I live in the middle of beautiful Devon Shire. I believe there are good rainforests on the W coast of Scotland which has a mild, wet climate.
Saw the original video a while back, and thought that would be a great one for you guys, but knew you got so many recommended videos to sift through; I didn't want to add it to your pile! Glad you found it anyway! 😁
I live in Devon and regularly visit the temperate rainforest on Dartmoor. It is a magical place. My YT account photo coincidentally is a photo of mosses/liverworts in the forest. I try to visit when there are few people around, go for a swim in the river and sometimes just sit in the middle of the river and take in the landscape. Being alone in such landscapes has such a primeval feel
You are not alone in associating rainforest with tropical rainforest only, and being unaware of the temperate kind. Maybe one reason why we have neglected and ignored the rainforest in the UK until recently. But i gather that renewed interest in recent years has meant greatly increased footfall from visitirs, and that is causing damage to the habitat in some places, so that may be why he avoided saying where it was.
It is Dartmoor, I grew up in that area and would visit some of these forests most weekends. I also know the folklore of the area.
Unfortunately Wistmans has been damaged by people engraving things on the trees. The Duchy of Cornwall who own that area has asked if people could walk around the small woods rather than going in to allow it to recover.
That wood is also known for the origin of the whist hounds, the black dogs of the wild hunt. Yes folklore. But I still regard Dartmoor as home even though I live in SW Hampshire now.
It's on Dartmoor.
Thank you!! ❤️
The first was filmed in Fingle Woods (near Drewsteignton) along the Teign River; this was a failed rift valley, the one that succeed formed the Atlantic Ocean! Whilst the second part was at Wistmans Wood (near Two Bridges) on Dartmoor, both are in Devon
The mention of the Dartmoor ponies is a big clue to where it is Natasha 😁😁
Neither of us heard that part unfortunately
@@TheNatashaDebbieShow The Dartmoor ponies are very special, as mentioned higher in the thread. It might be worth looking for a UA-cam video about them.
That intro was world class I almost cried when Debbie was in the background 😂😂😂
part of the problen is summed up by what he said "...I just want to live here !" one or two living or visiting is conservation, but hundreds leads to destruction and erosion. much of the uk has lost its woodland/forest through enviromental issues but mainly through footfall erosion (many worldwide beauty and iconic sites are suffering from heavy foot wear from millions of feet tramping an area and touching hands), but mainly from what I call "New house syndrome" instead of renovating and modernising old buildings to provide homes, or demolishing to rebuild on the same spot, theydo this (ficticious place) : - Little bottoms wobble is an abandoned village of 200 homes and businesses. The village was abandoned in the 90s when the second recession in 10 years saw the last villagers leave.laying on the edge of the forest and moores , the village has its infrastructure intact though building renovation is needed. there is a demand for houses in the area, but instead of doing this, builders clear a swathe of forest half a mile away and a mile square to build Great bottom wobble, destroying forest . similar effects happen when one family builb a home in the foret, result minimal harm, but when 10 families do it, result deforestation. during 40s to 80s due to cold war Ministry of defence built military bases as whole communities, after the cold war MOD abandoned many bases and either mothballed them "just in case" or put them up for sale "entire villages just add people", many are still empty and decaying while local government contracts out for NEW housing very near camps, but far enough to require destroying more enviroment. its an vast over exageration but plausible that one day UK will be one massive housing site 50/50 lived in houses and abandoned houses, after all new house syndrome sees no one wanting renovated houses when they can have new. The nightmare of concrete uk isnt possible right ! wrong did you realise by area, drop New York and Chicargo and Dallas onto the land area of UK and you would have no forrest/farm/moor land. if we are to keep our forests etc we need to stop buiding new communities, start recycling existing housing and severely limit construction in rural sites. sorry, this expanation became a rant, but if we dont do something ther will be no quaint British villages, beautiful countryside or idillic forests for American visitors or anyone else to see.
Agree 100%. The news always talks about a "housing crisis" and politicians are bending over backwards to rip up more and more countryside and turn it into concrete housing estates faster and faster. It's endless urban expansion where I live. And this in a country that has had below replacement birth rates for fifty (yes 50) years! We should be able to be protecting and expanding the natural environment, but... Um... We can't, because... Umm... Reasons.
So glad he didn't say specifly where it was to protect it. Good man
Nice video showing great enthusiasm for the forest and rewinding, however lost his credentials when finding a rare mushroom. He decided to pick it rather than leave it in the ground to reproduce, you' ve got a smart phone if you need to prove you saw it.
The red toadstool with white spots is called Fly Agaric, it grows near birch trees in early autumn.
yes, this was Devon but they're also in Wales Scotland and Ireland. you do also have some in America in the pacific northwest from northern California to British Columbia. and a smaller one in the Appalachian Mountains.
That’s amazing I had no idea there was a rainforest in Devon. Certainly learning something new . Excellent video.
The UK also has deserts and arctic tundra
The UK does not have desert (defined in the normal way as a place with very low precipitation). People sometimes call Dungeness a desert but it isn't one really.
Semi arid ?@@barneylaurance1865
This is beautiful, it filled my heart with wonder.❤
Hey you lovely ladies, I’m so glad you reacted to this video as I DID suggest this one to you both as a comment on your reaction to garden centres. But I’m overjoyed you got to it regardless 😀
This man is so passionate, I agree that it’s infectious 💯👍🏼
I’m definitely going to check out his other videos after watching that. Thanks Natasha and Debbie ❤❤
I looked into this a few years back for some kids that I taught. The rainforests exist in Western Scotland, Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria, north-west Wales, Northern Ireland, and the south-west of Ireland. They're very very fragmented now because of climate change and habitat destruction(by humans). And just in case you think of visiting you will need wellies and waterproof clothes and a change of everything.
Wistman's Wood has a very haunted reputation. The trees can look very sinister. Most of all, you feel very aware that it is not a human place. I'm a druid, so I felt very safe there.
I was reading a book about the rainforest and in it I read about how important the Wildwood and the rainforests were to the Druids. Since then I've become fascinated with the druids and I'm glad to see we still have them, incredible to think that for thousands of years the druids are still going
I used to live in North Wales and the annual rainfall was about 2 metres. The woodlands felt like a rainforest , just like the video. Great episode, thank you.
And just when I thought I knew enough about my home country! 😮 fascinating video. Thanks for sharing it with us, girls!
Beautiful video, we are lucky to have these places to see. There are many beautiful forests on Kent and they make for a brilliant adventure treat for the dogs and great fun to see
Hi Debbie and Natasha.
It certainly around or in the Dartmoor area. Possibly Castle Drogo ,Fingle bridge, Lydford Gorge area.
Havent been back in years.
I love the leave curious and mossy earth videos. They give me so much hope for improving UK wildlife.
I’m lucky enough to live near Dartmoor, it’s is absolutely beautiful. We spend most weekends there. In the spring the meadows are full of bluebelles, absolutely stunning. I have been to these woods and they have a real mystical feeling about them. If you are in the South west then Dartmoor is a must see especially if you like walking
4:45 In case you didn't catch it, the plants are bryophytes - mosses and liverworts.
Yes, I have a number of rainforests nearby. They are on the west coast of the north of Scotland.
At one time continuous, most are now small remnants, having been cut-down for charcoal in the 18th
19th centuries. The charcoal was made on site and was used for iron smelting and making gunpowder.
Acorns in the UK also have caps but in the first stages of germination the shoot pushes out at the
capped end - dropping the seed off the tree into the leaf litter where it continues growing.
13:53 Most people in the UK are not aware of the existence of these forests and their beneficial effects
on the land. Many people live almost exclusively urban lives - unaware and unknowing.
That was a beautiful video what a lovely way to start off your day . I loved your intro . The guy sounds a bit like Steve backshall a British naturalist and explorer. Thank you for this beautiful video
I am lucky enough to live on the edge of Dartmoor and have visited this forest in the past. It is truly magical. Hope you manage to go there on your trip.
Excellent intro!!!! I was fooled! 😊x
Debbie, that is a normal acorn. It drops out of the cap onto the ground then starts to sprout.
American acorns are just the same. This is in valleys in Dartmoor, Devon etc.
The temperature forests across the northern hemisphere are larger than all the world's jungles. This landscape is very soggy.
This sort of place survives where it was difficult to farm, ie steep, narrow, rocky etc.
Hi ladies , look into Romney Marsh in Kent if you haven't already and the Dymchurch railway . 😊
Ausewell Woods or the Bovey Valley, both in south Devon. There's several maintained by the Woodland Trust. Great for bird watching, and butterflies too which is what took me there a few times many years ago. And you can find some in Ireland, along the western coast mostly.
There's a similar habitat in the Pacific North-west, Washington State and British Columbia.
So beautiful. Worth looking for a video about The Lost Gardens of Heligan. They are in Cornwall.
Yes Devon has lots of these rainforest, just go to North Devon and the right valleys of exmoor
You can find our rainforests in,
West coasts of Scotland, North & West Wales & Devon, Snowdonia, Elenydd in Wales, the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Pennines & The West Country and yes, Ireland do have rainforests
Glad you guys have got into Leave Curious . The guy is excellent . So are you two . I live in a small remnant of the temperate rain forest in the UK . The local mountain looks like it is steaming
Hi Natasha & Debbie, The temperate rainforest in this video is in Dartmoor national park in England
Definitely Dartmoor in Devon. The special place at the end is Wistman's Wood. There are a few UA-cam videos of it available.
The red and white spotted 'mushroom' is actually a toadstool called Amanita Muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric or fly amanita. It is poisonous but death due to poisoning from A. muscaria ingestion is quite rare
One of my favourite tree/nature facts is that when each of us is born, so does a tree sapling sprout somewhere in the world. There are trees that have grown and experienced life alongside each of us. Maybe if more humans took notice of this they would feel more inclined to protect them.
Have known about Wistman's Wood for a while, but accessibility by public transport is very poor. If you fancy other aspects of the great outdoors in the UK, I recommend checking out the bluebells in late April/early May or take a visit to Savernake Forest, which has the largest collection of ancient oaks (some ~1,000 years old) in the country.
Whistman’s Wood, instantly recognisable. I adore Dartmoor and have explored it widely. The river valleys are hidden gems. Whistman’s wood hosts the densest population of adders (the UKs only venomous snake) in the country.
Thanks ladies as always.
Thank YOU for watching!!
We know, but you didn't ask. A new rainforest is being planted on our southern moorlands to replace some that was lost. The acorn in the film has shed it's 'cup', you can see a new root and the 'cup' protects this area until the shoot emerges. He implied it was on Dartmoor in Devon (south West England) as he mentioned the ponies. Much of the UK would have been covered in rainforest in the Western areas where the Atlantic rainstorms are prevalent. The red and white spotted are called Amanita Muscari, they grow well in Beech rainforest, and are hallucinogenic, which is probably the reason why people saw fairies and gnomes sitting there!
You can also find Temperate Rainforest in West Wales, again, a very small area.
This is mainly filmed in the Lydford Gorge near Tavistock in Devon. The river is the River Lyd. The area in the south west of England is close to the coast and the prevailing winds come across the Atlantic. The winds are relatively warm and so is the ocean. The atmosphere dumps its rain when it rises on the land and over Dartmoor. All of the area would be covered like this in trees if it was left to regenerate but the moors are managed, mainly for the shooting of birds such as pheasants and grouse that are specifically bred for this purpose. Although it's located in the far south west of the UK its latitude is similar to southern Canada.
Not enough of this left now. We are lucky enough to have an area locally like this which is actually used as the area's Scout camp! Wood cabins, damp ground that occasionally floods from the stream running through it, lichen, moss, old logs, open areas and thick woodland with trees everywhere. You can walk up onto the South Downs and range for miles on hikes in almost every direction. The kids love it and always come home muddy even in the summer.
And it has proved to be pretty much 100% kid proof for almost 100 years now.
My husband's family comes from that area, his late mother's maiden name was Dart. It's a beautiful part of the country.
Our acorns are green with hats to , that one he showed is before it opened revealing the acorn ❤
I think the Dartmoor ponies gave the location away it is a brilliant area to look at a really nice part of Devon
Yeah our acorns have the little caps on too😊
Love the video,peaceful place to take a walk.looks like dartmoor.❤
The beauty of it is retained due to it not getting ruined by masses of people trampling all over it. I don’t blame anyone wanting to see it, but sometimes it’s better to leave places untouched and unspoilt and watch videos like this. Beautiful. Thanks as always girls.
Definitely Devon. Dartmoor ponies were the clue. I have only driven through Dartmoor and it is beautiful. I didn't know we had a rain forest hidden in there!
Since everyone has stated its on dartmoor, I've copied and pasted some info from Google.
Dartmoor National park is 368 square miles or 954 square kilometres. It's about 20 miles from North to South and 20 miles from East to West. That means it's roughly the same size as London, or about the same size as 20,000 football pitches.
Dartmoor has been used for military training since the early 1800s. The Dartmoor Training Area comprises of three training ranges on the north moor (Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy and dry training areas on the south moor (Cramber Tor, Ringmoor and Sheeps Tor
Wild ponies and tanks lol
The army never takes armour onto Dartmoor. I settled in the area, on my retirement from the army, as a direct result of training on Dartmoor and we couldn't take anything larger than a Land Rover, all the times I went there.
@@chriscalkin1735 Jeremy Clarkson was chased by a challenger tank on there on top gear
@@dirtbikerman1000 That was Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
@@chriscalkin1735 ah OK 👍🏻
Greater London 607 square miles
This is on Dartmoor....A National Park in Devon...Dartmoor gets as much rainfall as the Amazon Rainforest!! It's very wet!! Sadly "ancient woodland" is extremely rare in Britain as most woodland was cleared in the Bronze Age (1000BC!!)....The fact that this temperate rainforest needs management (grazing/thinning) means that it will be ultra rare amongst the already ultra rare ancient woodland!!
This is in Dartmoor National Park, which is, just north of Plymouth and down the road from the English Riviera. Parts of Dartmoor are the playground for the Royal Marines. The weather comes thick and fast on Dartmoor with, sometimes, 4 seasons in 1 hour,...Yes I said 1 hour. It in a large part, covered in moorland with large hillocks called Tors, to which there is an annual childrens competition/expedition that cover 10 of the Tors with support by H.M.Forces. It's had to be abandoned due to the weather on many occasions. Dartmoor is home to The Hounds of the Baskervilles, of Sherlock Holmes fame and it was once home to Britians highest security prison, HMP Dartmoor, a large dark granite foreboding place virtually in the centre of HELL!!!!!!!!!
You should check out some of his other videos and the organisation that he mentioned, Mossy Earth. He does work/videos for/with them also.
This is at Dartmoor, All of the UKs rainforests are on the Western side of the kingdom, in England, Wales and western Scotland. There is also some in Northern Ireland.
So funny the start of this video was, Debbie Debbie, what. Just pretend were in a rain forest😂😂😂 i love learning with you both ❤
Stereotypical red with white spots fungs Fly Agaric and POISONOUS. So many beautiful places to see, not enough days in a lifetime to see them, which makes me thankful for videos like this
also can make you see things if prep correctly
Hi Natasha and Debbie, The red fungi with the white spots is called the Fly Agaric and is native to the UK. It lives in woodlands, parks and Heathlands with scattered trees. usually near Birch or pine trees. It is toxic but usually not deadly. It does grow in small areas of the US. The name derives from people in the olden days, seeing a large number of dead flies around assumed that it was a natural insecticide. The truth is that actually it attracted flies because it smells of rotting meat. The flies died naturally and helped the fungi to develop by adding nutrients into the soil. The scientific name is Amanita muscaria.
I know where this is, I've been there a few times and it is stunning. Yes it is on Dartmoor and that is as much as ime saying ( for it's own protection). It has been said that a monkey could climb a tree at the southern part of Cornwall and travel to the most northern part of Scotland and not touch the ground, yeh we had a few trees !!
He said Dartmoor ponies were in that area so it's Dartmoor in Devon
It's on Dartmoor in Devon, Many years ago I walked through there with my Father-in-law. A magical place
It's only really wet enough for rainforests in the very west of the UK. The east suffers drought most years. But we do have many patches of ancient woodland all over the UK.
Beautiful Rainforest and a lot of Devon is beautiful too imo, one of my favourite counties in England, you should take a look at more areas there like Lynton in Lynmouth in North Devon and also one of the counties next to it which is Dorset.
The red and white mushrooms are fly agaric. The Sami people eat some of them and feel as if they are flying on a sleigh. This and the colour are believed to be why our Father Christmas flys on a sleigh and wears red and white clothes. Also used by witches, rubbed on a certain part of the anatomy they would hallucinate they were flying on their broomsticks.
I think that the lack of information as to where this area exists is quite deliberate. The last thing these areas need is thousands of people trooping around them, this would destroy them in very short order. He mentions in the video that he's not entering certain areas, just treading on the moss and lichens covering the rocks would rapidly wear them off, and just imagine the effects of children climbing on the rocks and trees!
The beach near to where I live on the NE Coast of UK sometimes uncovers the remains of tree stumps which were part of a forest at one time, amazing to see.
Started off nicely like Attenborough then i saw it was a peace Lilly 😂 back to the show .... Think it's down Devon Cornwall way as he said Dartmoor ponies but he may not want massed tourists ruining the area. Dartmoor ponies are sold & used in other management project's. Puzzle woods would blow your mind was a surface quarry in the pre metal working age covered in mosses trees and lichens just like the forests in the video.
Love you two ladies. From Jackie in Chester UK.🇺🇸🇬🇧❤
The Amethyst Deceiver (laccaria amethystina) is an edible mushroom, but extreme care should still be taken when picking and eating them, as they absorb arsenic from the surrounding soil. Eating them for an extended length of time can lead to an accumulation of arsenic in the body, which over a long period is in itself is a health hazard. (and apparently they don't taste very good anyway!)
we go for a walk there most Sundays it's not far from Exeter Devon & one of the best Kept Secrets !
It was such a shame my local hot house, as it was known, has now been demolished. Used to like seeing the rare plants and getting into somewhere hot on a cold day lol.
Dartmoor National park is in Devon. Dartmouth Naval College is situated on the river estuary, where Elizabeth met Philip many years ago. Close by is Plymouth, and then the county of Cornwall.
From what I've heard, most of Europes Atlantic coast, from Northern Spain to Southern Norway, was covered in rainforests during prehistoric times.
Also worth knowing: there is some temperate rainforest on the American west coast, unfortunately I don't know if it's in the US or if it's in Canada, or both.
He mentioned Dartmoor (Southwest England) Others are:
Wales - in Ceredigion, Powys, and Gwynedd, including Coed Crafnant
Scotland - the Highlands and Argyll, including Ballachuan Hazelwood
England - in the Lake District and Dartmoor, including Marsland nature reserve
Northern Ireland - in the glacial valleys of Antrim including Glenarm and Straidkilly nature reserves
We have rain forests here in Scotland, mostly on the west coast areas.
Quite fascinating to learn and see hidden gems around us.
If you go to dartmoor national park in Devon you will find temperate rainforest in the valleys of the moorland.
I live on the edge of The New Forest in Dorset, we have our New Forest ponies, it's so beautiful and peaceful especially out of season.